


Black Steel: Slouching Towards Bethlehem

by JoAsakura



Series: Black Steel (TRC) [2]
Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-11-17
Updated: 2009-11-17
Packaged: 2017-10-03 04:44:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoAsakura/pseuds/JoAsakura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the sequel to "Black Steel"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Strain was Showing

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL//KUROGANE ONLINE*-

:::SITREP:::

ALERT ALERT ALERT

Tactical System HIJITSU: ERROR//Unable to acquire GPS lock. ERROR//Unable to access Cephiro SATNET. ERROR// Switching to lo-band monitoring.

ENVIRONMENT: Rontigen count indicates probable current position: Hanshin Front. Scanning lo-band for communications. Environmental hazard alert: yellow.

ENEMY COMBATANTS: CLASSIFICATION Nanomachine Swarm ONI//Recalculating... None//Downgrade Threat Level from Red.

NONCOMBATANT: Flowright, Fai D. [INJURED. Vital Scans to follow]  
NONCOMBATANT: Li, Syaoron [INJURED. Vital Scans to follow]  
ALLY COMBATANT: Artifical Human SAKURA [defensive mode activated]  
NONCOMBATANT: Nanomachine Colony//White Pestilence//ERROR

 

:::SITREP INTERNAL:::

Exoskeleton damage at back, left arm (upper), head. Initiating Self-Repair. Calculating time...

Tactical System SOHI: STANDBY  
Tactical System HIEN: STANDBY  
Tactical System GINRYUU: STANDBY

~~~  
Yuuko Ichihara had once made sure to include several volumes of nothing but curse words in the Rekord Library for the sole purpose of making sure that BlackSteel had a "well-rounded vocabulary".

As Mokona's jump gate deposited them above a barren wasteland, shaded violet with twilight, a few of those word had cycled to the front of his discussion tree and were currently being leveled at the skinny blonde scientist cradled protectively in gleaming black arms.

"...cking stupid damn fool, dangerous, unecessary..."

The conversation had started several moments before, in an amusement park on the outskirts of Edonis, with a pack of black beasts hot on their heels. The creatures were actually seething swarms of nanomachines - Mokona's hideous distant cousins.

They had jumped seven times in as many days, and the peaceful time spent at Kakei's shop seemed like an impossible lifetime ago. The strain had begun to show on both Fai and Syaoron - their human bodies never meant to take the strain of so many transmat jumps in such a short period of time- as well as Mokona. The meat bun had done nothing but chirp random ringtones for the last day and a half.

Reed's agents had found them with terrible speed. During the fight, Fai's leg had most certainly been broken while attempting to short circuit the Oni swarm using the Mashin-Celes unit and a repurposed electric people mover.

And that made Kurogane less than happy with the scientist, even as he readjusted his internal shock absorbers to redistribute the impact of their landing on the sun-blasted clay so as to not jar him.

"I wasn't going to let them near you, you stupid toaster!" Fai shouted at him in return, taking a smack at the nearest hunk of black metal. "Do you have any idea what would happen if one of them had gotten into you?!"

SAKURA floated gently to the cratered ground next to them, cradling Syaoron in her arms. The air around her glowed softly and Kurogane noted the rapid decrease in the rontigen rating in her vicinity. She and the boy exchanged a concerned look that was not lost on Fai.

"But we're upsetting the children, Kuro-papa." He said with a patently fake pleasantness. "Let's finish this later." He squirmed free of Kurogane's grip, hissing as his broken leg refused to support him.

"We'll make sure Moko-chan is ok." SAKURA said suddenly, setting the boy down and promptly grabbing Mokona. The small white creature beeped out out a 15-second sample of Primera's "Kudan Love" in response and the three retreated behind a nearby outcropping of rock.

Kurogane had resisted his initial impulse to catch the scientist as he collapsed, but a moment later, there was the soft hiss of servomotors as he knelt beside him.

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D. [stupid/vulnerable/illogical/irresponsible//ERROR][INJURED: Suggested course of first aid follows:]

Tactical System: BLACKSTEEL: Deactivating

"You built me. You should trust me." Kurogane said quietly, as the black exoskeleton began to fold outwards and back, an elaborate origami of polysteel and circuitry.

Blue eyes looked up into red ones as the interlocks hissed open and Kurogane freed his "noncombat" body from the outer shell.

"I'm so tired of running, Kuro-chan." Fai said after a long moment, wiping his hand across his face. "But it's all I can think of to keep her.. you.. safe from Reed."

"You take too many chances." Kurogane said, hands moving down Fai's leg to check the break. The haptic sensors in this new body had been reconfigured from the remains of several junked high-end medical robots that Kakei had somehow been able to "acquire", and were thousands of times more sensitive than the original ones in the combat frame. "You... will let me adequately protect you. THAT is my function, NOT yours, and if you are so keen to get yourself killed, I will do it for you much more efficiently."

Fai looked startled, then narrowed his eyes. "You're yanking my chain, aren't you, Kuro-tan?"

"I am concerned at your lack of a self-preservation instinct." He sat back on his haunches and scowled. He was still getting used to the use of facial expressions in nonverbal communication and tended to overdo them, and Fai's little chuckle reminded him that he had done it again. "But that aside, we need to discuss how Fei Wong Reed's agents have found us so easily lately."

Fai closed his eyes and leaned back against Kurogane. "You have a theory already." The tension in his shoulders dropped the moment one powerful arm curled around him.

"Yes." Kurogane's gaze travelled over to the nearby rocks. "And we need to have an answer once and for all."


	2. eye of the beholder

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL//KUROGANE ONLINE*-

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIJITSU: Monitoring lo-band communications. Triangulating nearest human habitation. Attempting GPS/Cephiro SATNET lock in 4:34:22

ENVIRONMENT: Rontigen count dropping in immediate vicinity. Monitoring SAKURA power fluctuations. Environment suggests inhospitable during daylight hours.

Team members secure.

Flowright, Fai D. [fragile/foolish/beautiful//ERROR] [INJURED: commencing first aid]

SUBROUTINE FLAG: Li, Syaoron

~~~

Back in Kakei's shop, Fai had explained to him the necessity of wearing clothes over his (fully human-form) noncombat frame. And fortunately, Saiga had been about the same size. Kurogane was fully aware of that, and completely disregarded it as he towered over Syaoron and rested one huge hand on the boy's head.

Based on the information he had (admittedly provided by Chief Ichihara, who had been determined to give him as much "real-world" data she could get her hands on), he calculated that his appearance would put the boy off kilter. Based on the stammering, it seemed to be working.

"Meat Bun, tesseract storage, first aid." He said, still glaring down at the boy. "I require your assistance in setting Fai's leg."

"Kurogane.. I can.." SAKURA started, then stopped. She was perceptive enough to realise that this was only partially about Fai's injury.

Meanwhile, Mokona saluted as best it was able with it's tiny little arms. "AYE-AYE, KURO-NEKKED!" It chirped, immediately pleased that the ringtone problem seemed to have cleared up. The little creature opened it's mouth wide- impossibly so, one would think, and belched out a first aid kit (still bearing the Green Drugstore's logo) into Syaoron's hands. Kurogane tried out "rolling" his eyes to indicate displeasure. Mokona blithely ignored him.

:::SITREP:::

Running Simulation VF4572: Nanomachine Colony Mokona vs. Industrial Blender. Include variants: sealing foam/herring/plutonium

Kurogane growled at the little creature and kept his hand on the top of the boy's head, steering him towards where Fai sat, broken leg stretched out. When they were out of SAKURA's earshot, he said quietly, "I know about the facility your brother is in."

Sayoron froze in place, holding the first aid kit tightly to his chest.

Kurogane knelt down next to Fai, cutting the leg off his jeans. "Your brother is being cared for in the Rondart Clinic, correct?" He motioned to the boy. "bandages and splint."

"Y..yes." Syaoron said finally, handing the materials to Kurogane and trying hard to not make eye contact with either one of them.

"The Rondart clinic is funded by Fei Wong Reed's grants." Fai said, wincing as Kurogane braced his leg. "H-D paid well, but I don't think you could afford the daily costs on a janitor's salary, Syaoron." He added.

The boy looked pointedly at the ground for several moments. "No. I can't." He chewed on his lower lip for a bit then looked up at them. "When Syaoran came down with the drift, I didn't know what to do. He always was the one who supported us." His hands, still bruised from the fight in Edonis, clenched. "The men in suits came shortly after that. Fei Wong Reed's men. They said they would take care of my brother if I did just a couple of small things for them."

"You were spying on us." The gentle tone in Fai's voice didn't waver, even as Kurogane finished splinting his leg.

"Mr. Reed told me what to look for in Doctor Yuui's lab. And .. and then I met.. her.. and I didn't want to do it anymore, but I had to.. for my brother. And then..." Syaoron looked hard into Fai and Kurogane's eyes. "Doctor Yuui found out... he realised... and he started putting up things for me to see."

"Yuui was feeding you false information to send back to Fei Wong." Kurogane noted the grim pride that beamed across Fai's face. "How?"

Syaoron pointed to his right eye. "I'm blind in this eye. They put something in there so Mr. Reed could look through it. He can't hear, but he can see. It's.."

"It's how they found us so quickly in Edonis, there were signs everywhere, telegraphing our location." Kurogane growled.

"I'm SORRY!!" Syaoron bowed suddenly, forehead scraping across the hard-baked ground. "I lo.. I.. Doctor Yuui said it was ok that I kept sending false information to Mr. Reed so that he would keep taking care of my brother! I never wanted Sakura to be hurt, or Doctor Yuui.. or.. or.. ANYONE! But I didn't know what else to do after the attack!" Tears threatened in his dark eyes.

:::SITREP:::

Li, Syaoron [beginning vitals scan. Biometrics report follows.]

"I know you didn't." Kurogane said softly, the hand he rested on Syaoron's head was no longer a threat. "Let me look at your eye." When the boy's dark eyes looked up at him, he nodded slowly. "Yes, now that I know what I'm looking for, I can see it. Highly sophisticated biological implant. Barely distinguishable from the rest of his retina."

Syaoron swallowed hard. "What.. what are you going to do?"

"I don't think I can remove it without severely damaging the eye." Kurogane thought about it. "But it's nonfunctional anyways.."

The boy blanched and Fai rested a hand on Kurogane's arm. "I don't think that was very... tactful, Kuro-pon." He said with a little chuckle that made the boy cringe.

:::SITREP:::

Scanning dictionaries: TACT//discarding definition

MOTION ALERT: SAKURA.

 

"I... I can fix it." SAKURA said. Both Fai and Syaoron jumped, startled by her sudden, silent appearance. "I think ... based on his body's memories.. if you'll let me?"

The boy blushed, refusing to look at her. "I'm so sorry for everything..." He looked back down at the ground as she knelt beside him. "Sakura..."

"Your heart.. it's a good one." She said, moving to press her small hand over his eye. "You've been trying to help all this time.."

"Sakura-chan, wait a moment." Fai said, and they all looked at him. "I want Fei Wong Reed to see one last thing." His face grew serious and he flicked a "v" at Syaoron. The boy blinked in surprise and in the next moment stiffened as the girl's power flowed through him.

In that same moment, Kurogane put himself between Fai and the boy. He only moved long after SAKURA gently eased him to the dusty ground, her face stricken.

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIJITSU: human settlement located. Calculating time of travel based on current team status.

"I've found a settlement." Kurogane watched the data unfold in his head. "We should make it by morning if we travel now." He looked down, surprised, as Fai's hand closed over his.

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D. [warm/kind/foolhardy//ERROR//flagging error for examination//suppressing future error warnings for ASSOCIATIONS: FLOWRIGHT, FAI D.

Running Simulation 122X: Ichihara/Lieber:Fai

 

"All of us." Fai said, his narrow hand tightening on Kurogane's broad one.

"Yes." Kurogane nodded, watching the boy sleep. "All of us."


	3. Not exactly a ghost town

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL//KUROGANE ONLINE*-

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIJITSU: Monitoring lo-band communications. Attempting GPS/Cephiro SATNET lock in 15:34:22. Time since arrival: 12:47:12:01

ENVIRONMENT: "vampire town" (see definition], local ID: Sprit/"King's Saloon"/

Flowright, Fai D. [snores/drools/cute//scanning dictionaries:CUTE//flagging definition] [SEDATED: monitoring leg injury]  
Li, Syaoron [monitoring behaviour]  
Artificial Human SAKURA [SLEEP MODE: Monitoring power fluctuations]  
Nanomachine Colony Mokona [you spin me right round, baby, right round//ERROR//flagging error/Running Simulation CV2212: Silent Movie-Tied to Train Tracks. Include Shinkansen Variant.]

 

"You four are stupidly lucky, you know that?" The young man with the dark hair and darker eyes was grouching as he let Kurogane lower Fai onto an impromptu bed of flour sacks. "Spirit's ok during the day because of all the cover we get from the ruins, but if you'd been out in the wasteland..." He shook his head. "Takes all kinds, I guess."

:::SITREP:::

Owner of "King's Saloon"/Self ID: Kinomoto, Touya. Appearance/Accent indicative of origin in Kingdom of Yamano [pulling file: Holy Kishim Empire destruction of Yamano, XX/XX/XXXX]

Bartender of "King's Saloon"/Self ID: Yukito. Appearance/Accent indicative of origin in nation of Valeria. [pulling file: Holy Kishim Empire destruction of Valeria, XX/XX/XXXX]

"To-ya, they're in terrible shape. Don't make it worse." The other young man chided the dark-eyed one. He had sandy-silver hair and warm amber eyes, and a faintly lilting accent that Kurogane recognised in Fai's speech when he got frustrated.

"Hmph." Touya grumped, then shrugged. "You coulda had one of the rooms upstairs for him, like we gave the cute girl and the brat." He jerked a thumb at the rickety wooden stairs.

:::SITREP:::

Structural Analysis: stairs. 0% Possiblility of supporting unit Kurogane's weight.

"This is preferable for me." He said, remaining crouched next to the still-sleeping Fai. He had protested the sedative, but the pace they'd needed to keep to make the town had exhausted Syaoron (who ended up carrying SAKURA. Her "resetting" his eye had used a significant bit of power) and had been too painful for Fai's leg. "We will work in order to pay for our rooms, if that is acceptable."

"Sure. Always work to do here. You guys come out to try your hands at salvaging the ruins?" Touya said as nearby, Yukito pulled down the blinds. The sun was already over the horizon, and the bustling town they'd come into in the darkness was going to sleep for the day.

When Kurogane didn't answer, Touya rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Look, we don't care here which army you deserted from, or what kind of crap you pulled in civilised society. You play by the sheriffs' rules while you're here, everyone gets along."

"Who are these sheriffs?" Kurogane smoothed the sheet over Fai and stood, brushing dirt off of the clothes that Saiga had given him.

"The Twins of Vampire Town." Yukito said. "They keep the peace, and keep us as safe as they can against some of the other scrapper towns out in the wasteland. Even though there's tons of ruined cities to salvage from, we're one of the only oases. Sometimes we have some little dust-ups."

"Big guy like you, you should apply at the sheriff's office, y'know?" Touya finished putting the chairs up and yawned. "I could use a cook. Maybe the skinny guy or the girl?"

Kurogane scowled hard enough to cause startled looks on the two others.

:::SITREP:::

VIDEO PLAYBACK//FILE 7111025488

Yuuko Ichihara, looking at a muffin with an expression of pure disgust. It had been such a face, that Kurogane had flagged it as a perfect example of the emotion. "GODDAMNIT, Flowright! What in the hell is this?"

"Yuui's sick today. And since he always does it on Fridays, I thought I'd bring in pastries for everyone. I used his recipes.." Fai looked like a kicked puppy [flag image//cute]. "You don't like them?"

"They're going to make an extra horseman of the apocalypse for your cooking. Never do this again. EVER." Yuuko gingerly dropped the muffin into a trash bin. "EVER." She pulled out her mobile phone. "Watanuki! Make sure there's a bottle of the Laprohaig in my office when I get back!"

 

"If you need a cook, it would be safer if I did it." He said finally.


	4. taste is a personal matter

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL//KUROGANE ONLINE*-

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIJITSU: Monitoring lo-band communications. Attempting GPS/Cephiro SATNET lock in 01:25:11. Time since arrival: 18:36:10:14

ENVIRONMENT: "King's Saloon"

Flowright, Fai D. [Current mood: "Annoyed" [scanning dictionaries/flagging definition] at unit Kurogane for previous sedation. RESTING]  
Li, Syaoron [SLEEP MODE]  
Artificial Human SAKURA [ACTIVE]  
Nanomachine Colony PESTILENT MEAT BUN [SLEEP MODE]

Opening Rekord Virtual Library/Cross referencing "Cookbooks"/Substitute ingredients: Sandworm meat.

 

SAKURA was intently watching Kurogane chop the rubbery sandworm meat into neat cubes. "What are you going to make?"

"Curry." Kurogane answered. "We can stay here and regroup for a while if the owner finds my cooking acceptable."

"And my job?"

"I require a taste-tester." He added, sliding the pinkish cubes into a pan with a few flaccid local onions and potatoes.

"But can't you taste?" She asked, retrieving the few spices the kitchen had.

"I can. If I took a taste of this, I could tell you it's chemical composition, and even give you a nutritional analysis." He stirred the sizzling meat. "I have over 1000 cookbooks stored as part of my virtual library, as well as cooking technique, but taste is a subjective value judgment." He scanned through the spices and chose the appropriate ones. "I do not have a baseline from which to judge a taste appealing or not."

"Hm." Her green eyes narrowed as she watched him work. "But you can make other value judgments, can't you? You think Doctor Fai is appealing to look at?" She tried, and failed, to look perfectly serious as she said it.

:::SITREP:::

Compiling Association list: Flowright, Fai D [Acceptable/Adorable/Appealing/Beautiful/Cute/Cranky...]

Kurogane shot her a baleful gaze out of the corner of his eye. "You shouldn't call him Doctor, here." He set the spatula down and tried to modulate the scowl he knew he was wearing again. "I was never designed with the intention to be able to taste or smell food, but I was given a great deal of audio/visual baseline information."

"That didn't answer the question." She pouted.

"I know." Kurogane replied serenely. "This needs to simmer on low heat for at least fifteen minutes. Can you tell me if the current aroma is acceptable?"

SAKURA grinned. "It is, and I think everyone is going to be hungry later."

~~~~

"Yeah, it's ok." Touya grumbled, hunched over his bowl in the corner. "you can stay in the storeroom for now."

Behind the bar, Yukito mimicked the owner's expression, then grinned. "To-ya's jealous that it's so good." His statement was met with a "SHUT UP, I AM NOT" from Touya and bright laughter from SAKURA.

Sitting at the bar with his own bowl, Syaoron was scowling as mightily as Kurogane did. Fai absently patted him on the shoulder and went back to adjusting the brace he'd built for his leg over the last few hours. "Don't worry, kiddo. I'm sure Sakura-chan still likes you."

Syaoron turned a dark red at this, and concentrated on his curry. "It's really good." He finally said to Kurogane, who had silently endured being pointedly ignored by Fai since the scientist had hobbled out to dinner.

"You should thank SAKURA as well. She assisted." Kurogane answered, still watching Fai.

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D. [Interpersonal situation unimproved. Re-examining decision tree. New choice analysis complete]

The bar-back rattled as Kurogane stomped around to pick Fai up and toss him over his shoulder. "We need to speak privately."

"KUROTAN! Goddamnit, put me down! That's an order!!" Fai shouted as Kurogane carried him back to the storeroom.

The others were dead silent until the door slid shut.

"They make a really cute couple." Yukito said finally as everyone let out their collective breaths.

~~~

In the stuffy warmth of the storeroom, the hazy twilight filtering in through the gaps in the shuttered windows, the two stared at each other for several long moments.

"You knocked me unconscious." Fai finally said. "You can't just decide to do things like that."

"It's no different from when you shut me down after Ashura had damaged me." Kurogane answered, kneeling so that his gaze was level with Fai's.

Fai opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. "I'm still angry."

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D. [Updating association: Irrational] [Updating association parameters: taste]

"I can see that." Kurogane answered, reaching out to take Fai's hand. "You won't allow SAKURA to.."

Fai looked down at how frail his hand looked in Kurogane's. "Sakura-chan's power is purification. She can take out what doesn't belong. Like the radiation, like the drift. She can't heal a broken le.." His words trailed off as the mech brought Fai's hand to his mouth and began licking his fingers.

"Kuro...chan?"

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D. [Increased capillary action, heart-rate] [continuing taste-association: query/profile=good?]

"I have limited baseline data on taste." Kurogane said quietly, moving on to another finger. He could feel the jitter of Fai's pulse through it. "I suspected you would not share the same flavour as sandworm curry, which SAKURA told me tasted "good". There are many different varieties of "good" tastes, I suspect."

"And you're checking to see if I'm one of them." Fai stammered out. "Kurochan.. this is..a little.."

"Also: I want to have a complete profile of you in my data." Kurogane said, even as his tongue, drier than a human's would be, moved up the inside of Fai's wrist. "I have memories of your many different expressions, and your voice. I want to be store as much as I am able to obtain of Fai Flowright."

Fai made a ineffectual bid at getting his arm free, then ducked his head, a fall of golden hair obscuring his face. "let me guess.. In case..?"

"It's likely that one of us will not survive to see the end of course of events." Kurogane murmured in the crook of Fai's elbow. "If I'm not destroyed, I will likely exist for a very long time."

"Then you should stop for a moment, Kuro-pup." Fai said, lifting his head. Blue eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"Why?" Kurogane paused anyway, unwilling to release Fai's hand.

"I can't get undressed if you don't let go of my arm." He quirked a little grin. "That.. might make it a little easier, wouldn't it?" He was faintly pink as he brought his free hand up to stroke through Kurogane's shock of black hair. "Ha... This is less incestuous-feeling than I was afraid it was going to be." He added with a nervous little laugh.

"You built me, but I am my own self." Kurogane reminded him, even as he abandoned the taste of Fai's arm for the taste of his mouth.

:::SITREP:::

Execute File: Ichihara/Lieber


	5. NSFW interlude for chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the title says. pretty much NSFW.

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL//KUROGANE ONLINE*-

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIJITSU: Monitoring lo-band communications. GPS/Cephiro SATNET lock on hold.

ENVIRONMENT: "King's Saloon"

Flowright, Fai D. [mapping taste pattern/ query:difference in taste wrist/lips/throat][increased heart rate/breathing/capillary action/pupil dilation]

 

Fai was sprawled out on the cot that Touya had been kind enough to place in the storeroom for him, the oversized flannel shirt that he'd been wearing discarded and his jeans only held on his one leg by virtue of the metal brace.

Dusty, fading light creeping through the cracks in the wooden shutters laid faintly golden stripes across Fai's almost-too pale skin.

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D [monitor future food intake]

Kurogane's rough tongue slid down along Fai's abdomen, and the scientist made a soft, small cry. "Kurocha~an.." he breathed out, mindful of the people just outside the little room. Powerful fingers gently traced along his hips.

"You're too thin." Kurogane murmured around Fai's navel. "I'm going to make certain you eat more."

"Yes mom." Fai shuddered, clutching Kurogane's hair with one hand, the other twitching against the sheets. "Gods, Kurotan..."

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D [obvious arousal/decision tree/implementing]

Kurogane's coarse black hair tickled against Fai's shaft as he deliberately licked past it, working his way down Fai's one exposed leg, pausing to examine the taste in the crook of his knee. "Each part of you... tastes a little different.. but yet all the same.."

"Kurogane.." Fai rasped, fingertips barely able to reach the mech's face. "I swear to god, I know Yuuko... had t'have programmed.."

"Patience is a virtue." Kurogane placidly worked his way down to Fai's toes, sampling each one of them in detailed turn. "Besides, you designed this body with this in mind, didn't you?"

"You make it sound like I'm a pervert." Fai laughed, squirming as Kurogane traced the sole of his foot.

"I don't have enough baseline data for that." He said, and Fai couldn't tell if he was joking.

"Kuro, please.." Fai said as quietly as he could for the need. "This is driving me insane."

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D [Begging=cute? Initiate further exploration]

The brush of Kurogane's tongue on Fai's cock was barely a feather's touch, and Fai's human strength was woefully inadequate in trying to drag the mech's head closer. He made made another small sound that Kurogane filed away under "=Good" and arched towards him as much as his the awkwardness of the leg brace would allow.

"This taste.. is the most intense.. here.." Kurogane slid his tongue over the head of Fai's shaft before following the path of the veins downward.

"Kurochan.. please.." Fai murmured again, one hand pressed against his mouth. "Please.. just.."

"No." Kurogane said, moving back up towards Fai's face to kiss him again. "The cot will not support my weight and your leg will not allow freedom of movement."

"Then give me your hand." Fai grinned at him, cheeks flushed under his messy golden bangs. When Kurogane offered him a hand, Fai's eyes slowly closed in bliss as he drew each long finger into his mouth. "Ha. Artificial skin.. it tastes like bubblegum." He laughed softly under Kurogane's intense red gaze.

When the fingers were gleaming wet, he guided the big hand down between his thighs. "Can you figure it out from here, Kuro-puppy, or do you need supplemental instruction?"

:::SITREP:::

Accessing: [Human anatomy files/video playback Ichihara/Scouts in Bondage 1 and 2]

Kurogane attempted what he thought might be an attractive smile, but Fai's immediate, giggling reaction indicated he'd overdone it again. The giggles were immediately stifled as one long finger slid into him and twisted just so. Fai's pale hands latched onto the darker length of Kurogane's arm and he gasped.

"I think I can work out what do do from here." Kurogane said, returning his mouth to Fai's cock. He slid a second finger inside, moving them slowly, looking for just the right spot that would cause the too-skinny man underneath him to writhe in a way that he found unaccountably appealing.

Fai's fingers were spasming as he bit down on his other hand to muffle the sounds rising in his throat. Another moment and he was arching up hard, scrabbling against Kurogane's arm for purchase as he came.

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D [associations: flushed/sweaty/tousled/beautiful]

 

"This taste.. I think this is truly yours." Kurogane licked at the scattered drops of white on the corner of his mouth as he leaned back over Fai. "Are you alright?"

Fai cupped the mech's face in his hands. "More than acceptable, Kuro-pup." His hands were shaking, but he tugged him closer for another kiss.

:::SITREP:::

MOTION ALERT

 

The sharp knocking at the storeroom door startled Fai into pressing up close to Kurogane's broad chest.

"Look, we hate to break up your.. er.. little chat, but customers are starting to come in and I could probably use the big guy to maybe cook?" Touya's voice had the definite tinge of an evil grin to it.

Fai's shoulders shook as he started to laugh, still wrapped in Kurogane's embrace. "I guess we're done for now."

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D [audio/laughter=Very Good//taste=Very Good//visual/smile/flushed/sweaty=Very Good]

"I missed a few spots in mapping your taste. We will have to continue this later." He said and this time, he got the smile right.


	6. A distressing turn of events

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL//KUROGANE ONLINE*-

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIJITSU: Monitoring lo-band communications. Attempting GPS/Cephiro SATNET lock in 00:20:15. Flagging all failed attempts at SATNET lock. Time since arrival: 20:16:05:09

ENVIRONMENT: "King's Saloon"

Flowright, Fai D. [OUT OF MONITORING RANGE- ALERT]  
Li, Syaoron [OUT OF MONITORING RANGE - ALERT]  
Artificial Human SAKURA [ACTIVITY: scanning dictionaries: "Waitress"/Powers creating calming atmosphere.]  
Nanomachine Colony Mokona [Annie are you ok? You've been struck by a smooth crimin..//ERROR/USELESS/Running random simulation generator]

ADDING TO DATABASE:  
Kinomoto, Touya [Civilian. ACTIVITY: scanning dictionaries: "Bartender"//"complainer" compiling differences in activity definitions]  
Yukito [Civilian. ACTIVITY: scanning dictionaries "Waitress"- query, Male?]

CIVILIAN CROWD: 14 Males, 7 females, classifying ages and facial features into visual recognition base. Projected threat level: GREEN. Monitoring for signs of alcohol-induced aggressive behaviour in excess of SAKURA's moderation abilities. Initiating pre-emptive decision tree, Simulation A43: Ichihara/Pub Fight.

:::SITREP INTERNAL:::

REMOTE EXOSKELETAL DIAGNOSTICS:

Tactical System SOHI: STANDBY/cycling power  
Tactical System HIEN: STANDBY/cycling power  
Tactical System GINRYUU: STANDBY

It was not exactly correct to say Kurogane was fretting. He would say that he was incapable of "fretting". But he had been cutting each section of sandworm with incrementally more force, to the point where he had just embedded the knife in the saloon's kitchen counter.

While SAKURA scurried from table to table, Yukito had come back into the kitchen to get a few more bowls of the curry. He paused as he watched Kurogane pry the knife out of the battered wood. "It seems like someone might be worried." He said kindly, ladling the stew into bowls.

"I'm not... I just feel it is a tactically unwise decision for Fai to be looking for employment at the salvage yard." Kurogane said.

"Well, he did say he was very good with machines." Yukito mused, setting the bowls on his tray.

"A factual statement, but irrelevant." Kurogane tried to dial down his scowl. "The salvage yard is 425.2 meters from my current location and in the event of emergency, I will not be able to be there immediately."

"He means quite a bit to you, doesn't he?" the waiter with his lilting Valerian accent was not the least bit ruffled by Kurogane's frightening expression.

"He means everything to me." Kurogane said, red eyes glancing over.

Yukito looked as if he might have something to say, but Touya's bellow from up front broke the silence. "YUKI, Food? TONIGHT?"

The waiter rolled his eyes and said something in Valerian which Kurogane had heard Fai mutter once or twice. It was not flattering.

:::SITREP:::

ENVIRONMENTAL: Noise levels shifting in bar, motion sensors indicate two entry. Biometrics/speech patterns processing.

Flag: HOLY KISHIM EMPIRE.

[Accessing primary combat directive files]

In the instant the information registered with Kurogane, he set down the knife and made his way to the swinging door between the kitchen and the bar proper. His initial programming had been planned to be a countermeasure to the fearsome powers of the Kishim, before everything else.

There were two young men, slender and pale skinned. One had deep purple eyes, and the other green, but they were obviously twins and moved with undeniable grace and economy of superior predators.

And strangely, no one seemed the least bit concerned.

[SITUATIONAL ERROR://flag and compare provided data on human/kishim interaction]

The one with the green eyes and a gentle smile sat down at the bar. "Touya, I heard you picked up a couple of strays?"

Touya shrugged. "You know how it is, Subaru. They're hard workers though. See the little girl there, she's doin' a bang-up job."

Subaru looked past Touya and his gaze locked with Kurogane's. Something wierdly golden flashed behind those green eyes. "Oh, dear." He said softly.

"Oh dear? That's never good when you say.." Anything else Touya was going to say was cut off as a streak of black shot past him, bounding over the bar.

"KAMUI!" Subaru shouted and the entire population of the bar was on it's feet as one.

"You fuck, you think you can just waltz right in here?" The other twin hissed, razor sharp claws extending and slashing through the air at Kurogane.

:::SITREP:::

COMBATANT: Kishim Male [Accessing Data on Kishim physical parameters/calculating threat level/Threat level YELLOW. Contextual data possibility: "Sheriffs" referenced earlier/Suggested course of action: restraint]

The one called Kamui was remarkably fast, Kurogane noted. The speed was similar to the inhuman quickness that Ashura had shown in their battle. But the Kishim was unaugmented as far as Kurogane's sensors could tell, proven out as Kamui's claws glanced off of his arm, one snapping off.

Kurogane caught the impossibly skinny wrist in his hand and clamped down- not quite hard enough to break bone, but nearly. "I think you have me mistaken for someone else."

"Kamui, stop it! That's not Haganemaru!"Subaru leapt over the bar to restrain his brother in the seconds before Kurogane had restrained him. The kishim dangled a foot off the floor by his wrist, purple eyes shooting evil looks at Kurogane, Subaru, Touya and everyone within a fifty foot radius.

Everyone else in the bar suddenly turned and concentrated on their food and drinks with all seriousness.

[FLAG: Query database: Haganemaru//NO ENTRIES FOUND]

SAKURA peered over the bar at the others. "You can probably put him down, Kurogane. I don't think there's going to be anymore fighting, right?" She said sweetly, and Subaru nodded.

"The young miss is correct, right, Kamui?" Subaru said with a terrifyingly pleasant smile.

"Yeah, yeah." Kamui said, then promptly kicked Kurogane in leg when he was set down. "What are you, anyways?" Claws retracted, he prodded the mech's arm. "You're not meat."

Kurogane ignored him, focusing on the other twin. "Who is 'Haganemaru'?"

"He's part of a group that's been tearing up the front lately. Some military unit that's not the Empire or the Alliance." Subaru said, hopping up on the bar to sit with his legs primly crossed. "Look around. All of us here in Spirit, human or kishim, we're all trying to live our lives away from the war."

"You're all deserters." Kurogane said. It made sense.

"From both sides." Touya said. "Yuki and I were part of the Kishim army because we grew up in conquered territory. We served with the twins."

"And when we left, they came with us." Subaru finished. "But Haganemaru's people wear a symbol i've never seen before. Kamui had a dust up last week with one of his men out on the trade route. They're definitely out there looking for something."

"Shut up, Subaru." Kamui folded his arms, narrowing his purple eyes. "You look just like him, but he's meat, mostly. You just smell like bubblegum and old wires."

"What does their company symbol look like?" Kurogane said, feeling something he couldn't define.

"It's a bat." Subaru said. "You know it?"

[VIDEO PLAYBACK//FILE 9921102A: EDONIS BATTLE/Detail: Fei Wong Reed's personal army symbol]

He had to find Fai.


	7. No time for mokona's shenanigans

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL//KUROGANE ONLINE*-

:::SITREP:::

Tactical System HIJITSU: Monitoring lo-band communications. Attempting GPS/Cephiro SATNET lock in 00:20:15. Flagging all failed attempts at SATNET lock. Time since arrival: 20:45:15:00

ENVIRONMENT: "Spirit" Processing quickest route to salvage yard.

Flowright, Fai D. [OUT OF MONITORING RANGE- ALERT]  
Li, Syaoron [OUT OF MONITORING RANGE - ALERT]  
Artificial Human SAKURA [Location: King's Saloon. Deemed safe]  
Nanomachine Colony Mokona [ALL ERRORS SUPRESSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE]  
Kinomoto, Touya [Location: King's Saloon. Deemed safe. Combat experience noted]  
Yukito [Location: King's Saloon. Deemed safe. Combat experience noted.]

ADDING TO DATABASE:  
Subaru [Kishim male, Location: King's Saloon. Deemed safe, Combat experience noted.]  
Kamui [Kishim male, Location: King's Saloon. Deemed safe, Combat experience noted.]

Flagging all others as potential hostile

:::SITREP INTERNAL:::

REMOTE EXOSKELETAL DIAGNOSTICS:

Tactical System SOHI: STANDBY/cycling power  
Tactical System HIEN: STANDBY/cycling power  
Tactical System GINRYUU: STANDBY

"Yay! Mokona gets to go with Kuro-tantan!" The white creature chirped from atop Kamui's head as Kurogane jogged towards the salvage yard. On the way he had Kamui give him every detail possible on the mysterious armed force he'd encountered.

The mech did not like this one bit.

The flow of people in the town, going about their business now that the sun had set, seemed unconcerned, which Kurogane took to mean that nothing was disrupting their daily routines, which could only be positive.

"Something's not right." Kamui said as they reached the salvage yard's fence-line. He had kept impressive pace with the mech, despite Mokona's unwanted presence on his head.

:::SITREP:::

[Expanding Kishim biological profile. Increased heart rate/respiration. Pupil constriction noted .5 mm]

"I'm amazed you could keep up even at that slow pace." Kurogane said, keeping his expression neutral.

"I'll race you when you're not so distracted, tin can." Kamui answered, shoving Mokona at the mech. "And when this thing's not weighing me down."

"Mokona is svelte!" The nanomachine colony complained. "Kuro-chan." It said softer, then. "Why is it so quiet?"

"That's what's wrong." Kamui said, voice dropping. "There should be all sorts of activity."

:::SITREP:::

[scanning: thermal imaging active. auditory range increased. biometric sensors engaged]

"I've got five humans. One kishim." Kurogane said as they cautiously entered the fenced yard. "Body temperatures indicate..."

"They're dead. I can smell the blood." Kamui sniffed. "We didn't hear anything. I was past here just before sundown and it was fine. We should have..."

"They gated in. The baseline white noise to my sensors around here must have blocked it."

:::SITREP:::

Flowright, Fai D. [MISSING//ALERT//ALERT//ALERT//ERROR/FAI/WHERE?]  
Li, Sayoron [MISSING//ALERT]

"They're not here. Fai and the boy." Kurogane said in that same perfectly neutral voice. "They're not here."

"You ok, tin can?" Kamui was crouched over one of the dead workmen.

"Pestilence, tesseract storage." Kurogane's voice dropped into a low rumble, ignoring the kishim. All he could see was a tree of red lights in his HUD. "Give me my other body. Now."

:::SITREP:::  
[running all search functions. Cephiro SATNET lock failed. Reattempt in :05:00:00//QUERY: FAI. Location: unknown/ERROR/Location: unknown/ERROR/Location: ....]

~~~~~~~~

Fai awoke with a grinding pain that seemed to make up his entire body. His eyes felt like they were full of gravel, and his brain felt three sizes to big for his skull. He tried focusing his eyes, but everything was dark.

After a long moment of panic, he sorted himself out enough to realise he was lying on a cot and he was blindfolded. His arms were bound by some rough rope that cut into his wrists and his braced leg was entirely made of shooting pain. "Syaoron?" He asked softly, surprised at the rasp in his own voice.

The last thing he clearly remembered was getting under the hood of an excavator that had stopped working. The boy had been assisting him by running for tools. And then...

"Not Syaoron." A voice said, deep and soft and Fai froze. A calloused hand touched his face and he flinched automatically, even as the blindfold was slid down.

He blinked furiously at the dim light, and then at the strong-featured face with the dark eyes. Brown hair had grown long and was caught in a ponytail, and stubble, darker than the faint gilding that Fai had been sporting, covered a familiar jawline.

"Y... Youou?" Fai said finally. "Is that..."

"Hey there, Kittykat." The voice had a resonance that Kurogane's couldn't. "Miss me?" The broad face broke into a faint smile and Youou Daidouji leaned over Fai, stroking away the tears that started down the smaller man's cheeks.

"I thought... they told me... you were dead." Fai whispered, looking hard at Youou's face through the haze of tears. "The war department told me you died on the Sharan Front."

"I did." Youou's other hand cupped Fai's face then. It was was weather beaten steel and carbon, and it was cold on his cheek. "I got better. We're going to be a family again, Fai. You and me and Tomoyo and Yuui, even. He's going to make it all better." There was a light in his eyes that matched the one Fai had seen in Ashura's when his mentor had attacked them.

"No..." Fai was trembling, wrists working frantically against the ropes that cut into his skin. "Not you too..."

"He's going to make everything better." Youou said again and crushed Fai against him in a harsh kiss.


	8. more than just cookbooks and smut

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES REKORD LIBRARY ONLINE*-

login date: XX/XX/XX33

[QUERY: The Great War]

:accessing file:

summary: date XX/XX/XX11: the Hanshin Republic destroyed by bombs placed by unknown terrorists. Estimated death toll: 220,320,476. The act was blamed on the Holy Kishim Empire by Economic Alliance President Sorata because of Hanshin's resistance to the Empire's expansion into Yama. The Empire, in turn, blamed radical factions within the Alliance. For further information....

[QUERY: Drift]

:accessing file:

summary: The first officially recorded case of the drift was reported on XX/XX/XX10 in the Hanshin Republic. Symptoms: lethargy, ennui, loss of purpose and numbness of limbs preceeding coma, and eventual petrification. As recorded on XX/XX/XX11, the recorded number of drift cases was reported to be over 10,000 worldwide. By XX/XX/XX12, the number had quintupled. No viral or bacterial component has been determined. For further information...

[QUERY: Valeria]

:accessing file:

Government: Former Monarchy. Overthrown by People's Army in XX/XX/XX05- royal family executed .  
Annexed by the Holy Kishim Empire XX/XX/XX11. Currently under Imperial Governance. Primary exports: luxury furs and energy crystals. State religion: worship of Sun and Moon gods. For further information...

[QUERY: Reed, Fei Wong]

:accessing file:

B: XX/XX/XXXX. Family: Reed, Clow (brother, deceased, see:...) Former Chairman, Horitsuba-Daidouji Heavy Industries. Removed by board XX/XX/XX10 [file sealed]. Current member, Alliance Parliament (see....)

 

-*HORITSUBA-DAIDOUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMBAT MECHA FRAME BLACKSTEEL//KUROGANE ONLINE*-

:::SITREP:::

Compiling data. Initiating decision tree. QUERY: Reed, Fei Wong dismissal. DENIED. searching access codes.

Auditory alert: logging conversation:KAMUI for later retrieval.

Tactical System BLACKSTEEL: All systems green light. ACTIVATING INTERLINKS  
Tactical System SOHI: 100% Capacity//Immediate Activation Available  
Tactical System HIEN: 100% Capacity//Immediate Activation Available  
Tactical System GINRYUU: 100% Capacity

Kurogane knew Kamui was going on about something as he settled into the familar shell of his exoskeleton. It didn't seem important in the face of the data spreading out in front of him.

:::SITREP:::

Compiling data. Searching for links between datapoints.

::

Seemingly unrelated events, and Fei Wong Reed was at the centre of it. If asked, Kurogane would have denied that it was a "hunch" but his ability to make intuitive leaps was almost as sophisticated as a human's, and he was certain that there was a connection. He just had to find it.

::SITREP::

Tactical System HIJITSU: rerouting services//filtering background radiation//isolating transmat jumpgate frequency

::

But first, he had to find Fai. Everything else would be meaningless without him.

~~~

In the close and dusty heat of Haganemaru's lair, Fai let Youou push him down on the dirty cot. The coarse rope stung against his bleeding wrists and he forced himself to try and stay calm.

It was hard. His thoughts were racing. Syaoron was nowhere to be seen, and he had no way of knowing if Youou had any of the horrific enhancements hidden in him that Professor King had.

"...only wants the girl. Yuui's project." Youou said, stroking Fai's sweat-damp hair as if they were enjoying a quiet morning in bed. "That's all he needs to correct everything." He murmured in Fai's ear, coarse black stubble tickling the smaller man's cheek.

"Were... were you out here looking for me, Yotan?" Fai forced a smile on his face, forced his voice steady and warm.

"No. We were looking for the machine. I was so happy when he said you were here." Youou rubbed his stubble against Fai's cheek. "I didn't think I would get to see you again, until we were done."

"What are you doing, then?" Fai tried to chuckle at the rasp on his skin.

"I can't tell you." Youou said. "Unless you bring the girl."

"I can't do that, Yotan." Fai took a deep breath. "but you don't need her."

"And why's that, Kittykat?" Youou's artificial hand slid down Fai's chest to slide under his sweaty shirt.

"You think that Yuui and I didn't know all of eachother's research?" Fai tried to sound indignant. "We were Ashura's wunderkind, after all."

The steel hand, cold even in the stifling heat slid down Fai's abdomen and the scientist shuddered. "Kittykat. You and Yuui... you lied and whored your guts out to get away from that refugee camp Professor King found you in. Don't you think I know what you're doing now?"

Metal fingers slipped down the waistband of Fai's jeans. "Don't look so distressed, Kittykat. It'll be better than that... fake thing you're cheating on me with."

"He's not a thing, Youou. He's every bit as alive as you are." Fai wished he would learn to keep his big mouth shut sometimes. "Maybe even more, given the circumstances."

"It's ok, Fai." Youou purred as those cold fingers pressed inside of Fai. "I'll forgive you. For now."


End file.
